These bills either made it into committees or have a chance. Either way, they need an extra push to pass or fail in the current session of the legislature — so please call (if you have time) or email soon!

HB 1323: Would provide funding for Woodland Park Zoo, which is a PRIVATE zoo with a horrible track record with elephants and other animals. More information here.

ASK LAWMAKERS TO SUPPORT

HB 1919: Would expand the circumstances under which a person may commit an Animal Fighting offense to include, among other things. Read more here.

HB 1026: Prohibits a city or county from prohibiting the possession of a dog based upon its breed, imposing requirements specific to possession of a dog based upon its breed, or declaring a dog dangerous or potentially dangerous based upon its breed unless certain conditions are met.

Alyne Fortgang, Co-founder, Friends of Woodland Park Zoo Elephants, asks that we send this one subject line to our state legislators (find yours using your address).

We need to oppose HB 1323, which would exempt zoological facilities from having to pay their fair share of taxes. It has advanced to the Rules Committee. More tax dollars means more money to confine, breed and/or capture wild animals into a lifetime of suffering.

Please copy and paste these legislators’ addresses and choose a talking point from below or write your own. Please use this subject line or one that makes it clear that you are against HB1323.

Subject line: No on HB1323 – No exemption from B&O taxes for zoos

If you have time to write more, here are talking points:

Tax income for WA State should go to high priority needs.

These Zoological facilities must live within their budget which includes supporting the State in which they reside just like other businesses.

The Department of Revenue Fiscal Note estimated loss in tax revenue is about 4 MILLION dollars if this bill is enacted. I believe WA State has important priorities for the revenue which does not include supporting zoological venues that exist primarily for entertainment.

Woodland Park Zoo is a PRIVATE organization. It should pay taxes like any other business.

Woodland Park Zoo refuses to be transparent with tax payers; it refuses to be subject to the Public Records Act even though through 2017 it has taken about $51,000,000 from King County tax payers (since 2008) and $133,000,000 from Seattle Tax payers (since 2002) – who are ALSO King County tax payers.

Woodland Park Zoo argued in the WA State Supreme court that it “…is not administering public programs nor does operation of the zoo implicate core or essential government functions.” The Supreme Court’s decision in the case accepted the Society’s claim to being a wholly PRIVATE entity performing a private and non-governmental function. It is time the Zoo to stop having its hand out for more money from tax payers.

Woodland Park Zoo has already received more than $51 million dollars from King County taxpayers since 2008. In addition, Seattle taxpayers (who are also King County taxpayers) have forked over $133 million dollars to the zoo since 2002. The zoo also benefits from rent-free use of the valuable land on which it sits, rent-free buildings, and free ownership of its inventory: the animals.

It’s time for the PRIVATE zoo to be self-sustaining. Woodland Park Zoo’s gate attendance has declined over the past decade. The public is not supporting the caging and suffering of wild animals as they once did so it’s time to STOP financially supporting the Zoo.

Sample email:

Dear County Council,

Woodland Park Zoo is a private zoo, but it already uses valuable land rent-free. The parks levy should be for our beloved city parks, not a private zoo. Let this private zoo fund itself privately.

The Pike Place Market Foundation is hosting a misnamed “Pigs Day Out” on March 1 to “celebrate” the year of the pig. Included in the event is pig racing. They will be using pigs from “All Alaska Racing Pigs.” While they claim the pigs receive VIP treatment, these pigs are also sent off to “backyard farms,” where they will likely end up in the slaughterhouse. And “climate controlled living environments” and racing on wood shavings, certainly don’t make up for the stress of being forced to race in front of a screaming crowd.

Please contact the Pike Place Market Foundation and POLITELY let them know how you feel about pigs being treated as entertainment:
christi.beckley@pikeplacemarket.org
or use their contact page:

Please join us for a letter-writing party on behalf of the animals over dinner at Papas Hot Potatoes in Ballard.

Letter writing is a simple and powerful way to make change for the animals! You’re welcome to bring your laptop, but NARN also provides stationery, pens, stamps and sample letters.

Topics for letters at past parties have included support for the orcas and wolves, opposition to the creation of new animal laboratories, and raising the spirits of activists and comrades who have been jailed for their pro-animal and political actions.

Check out the yummy menu at Papas Hot Potatoes: https://www.papashotpotatoes.com/menu/

Expand the circumstances under which a person may commit an Animal Fighting offense to include: (1) stealing an animal for animal fighting; and (2) possessing, transferring, manufacturing, or engaging in other activities relating to animal fighting paraphernalia.

Elevate the classification of Animal Fighting from a class C felony to a class B felony when a person intentionally mutilates an animal in furtherance of the offense.

Provide that a person is guilty of Animal Cruelty in the second degree when he or she abandons an animal that has been used for animal fighting and thereby causes or risks harm to the animal.

Require the Washington State Patrol (WSP) to establish and maintain a statewide voicemail line to allow members of the public to anonymously report incidents of animal abuse.

Require the WSP to establish a central repository for local law enforcement agencies to report incidents of animal abuse for submission to the National Incident-Based Reporting System.

House Bill 1929, sponsored by Reps. Lovick, Klippert, Leavitt and Stanford, would expand the circumstances under which a person may commit an Animal Fighting offense (a Class C felony) to include owning, possessing, buying, selling, transferring, or manufacturing animal fighting paraphernalia for specified purposes. Paraphernalia would include items such as “breaking sticks; cat mills; treadmills; fighting pits; springpoles; unprescribed veterinary medicine; and gaffs, slashers, heels, and any other sharp implement designed to be attached in place of the natural spur of a cock or game fowl.”

It’s important that both these bills pass. Please contact your representatives to ask that they support HB 1919 and 1929. The easiest way to find your representative is to input your address on this website.

In an email, letter or phone call, you might say:

Dear Rep. So-and-so,

I’m writing to ask that you help ensure HB 1919 and 1929 in the current legislature pass. They elevate animal fighting from a Class C to a Class B felony, expand the definition of animal fighting to include buying and owning animal fighting paraphernalia, and require the Washington State Patrol (WSP) to establish both a statewide voicemail line to allow the public to anonymously report incidents of animal abuse and a central repository for local law enforcement agencies to report incidents of animal abuse for submission to the National Incident-Based Reporting System.

These are important bills that should have no trouble passing. Thank you for taking the time to ensure that they do.

It’s hard to believe that’s what’s being proposed by this bill from Rep. Joel Kretz (R-Wauconda), Rep. Tom Dent (R-Moses Lake) and Rep. Carolyn Eslick (R-Sultan), who start strong with mention of enthusiasm about wolves in Washington but quickly degrades into what appears to be sarcasm: “The ecological, economic, and spiritual benefits wolves have brought to eastern Washington needs to be shared with the rest of the state.”

Bainbridge Island “creates a natural border to keep the wolves isolated to an area where they can be protected, studied, and, most importantly, admired by the region’s animal lovers.

Therefore, the state should, “in an effort to perpetuate the species and minimize landowner conflicts, rely on the translocation of wolves as the primary tool for managing wolf-related wildlife interactions in the areas of the state where wolves are naturally occurring.”

Oh, and if they creat problems? “Lethal removal of wolves must be considered for every four confirmed wolf kills of domestic dogs; for every four confirmed wolf kills of domestic cats; and for every two confirmed wolf kills of children.”

Brought to you by four state reps, including the one who keeps proposing a bill to turn eastern Washington into its own state called “Liberty” and one who’s been on the Southern Resident Killer Whale Task Force:

“The legislature finds that there have been 8 recent efforts to develop cell-cultured meat, which is a meat product 9 grown in laboratories from cell cultures of animal muscle or organ 10 tissue. Cell-cultured meat is also known as in vitro meat, lab-grown 11 meat, synthetic meat, or fake meat. There is uncertainty regarding 12 which government entities should appropriately regulate this product 13 and whether the word ‘meat’ is an accurate descriptor in compliance 14 with current laws. The legislature finds that there is insufficient 15 information about cell-cultured meat to authorize its sale safely 16 into the Washington food system.” — House Bill 1519

Seriously, what century is this? Aren’t enough animals being farmed for fur — so many that companies sometimes misrepresent whether clothing they sell uses animal or faux fur — that we don’t need competitions to kill more? People are the beasts in this scenario.

Idaho Fish and Game are part of this depraved situation, which appears to be at least tacitly condoned by U.S. Fish and Wildlife officials, according to The Smokey Wire website, which is administered by Sharon Friedman, Ph.D., forest geneticist, Forest Service retiree (2012) and former chair of both the Forest Policy Committee and Forest Science and Technology Board at the Society of American Foresters.

What’s Idaho Fish and Game upset about? Of the 2.6 million cattle and sheep in Idaho at any given time, about 77 cattle and 61 sheep have been killed each year there since 2009, according to a post on The Smokey Wire by Matthew Koehler. That compares to fewer than 1,000 wolves, last time Idaho counted. It’s worth reading his whole post to learn more about this subject.

If you’re in Boise, please visit Idaho Fish and Game in person to let them know what you think: 600 S. Walnut, Boise, ID. If you’re not, please call them at (208) 334-3700 and call or email Idaho Fish and Game Commission Members:

Calendar

March2019

If you wish to have an agenda item added to the NARN Board Meeting, please email info@narn.org at least a day in advance. You can also send us a message on Facebook anytime or even the day of the meeting and we'll do our best to get back to you.

Animal rights lawyer Adam Karp and No Bones Beach Club are sponsoring a screening of the film Dominion, followed by a presentation of various legal issues the animal rights community faces when it comes to trying to help animals raised for food.
To get your free ticket to attend and to learn more, please see the Facebook event page:
https://www.facebook.com/events/2090832197805855/

Highline is hosting a fundraiser Bingo event for Precious Life Animal Sanctuary
Precious Life is a non-profit organization dedicated to rescuing and providing a safe home for abused, neglected, abandoned farm and companion animals, teaching humane education and advocating against practices that perpetuate animal suffering.

See the Facebook event page for more information
https://www.facebook.com/events/801845666842391/

If you cannot make this event please considering donating directly to them www.preciouslifeanimalsanctuary.org/donate.html

The Center for Biological Diversity is hosting events around the country to help educate people on how to be a better advocate for wolves. The Seattle Wild for Wolves Rendezvous is in Northgate area of Seattle on March 5 from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. Connect with other people who loves wolves, learn about the current threats, write comments, and plan next steps. Please join when you can during the time window. RSVP here

Join the Puget Sound Vegans Meet-up for a discussion on co-housing
Imagine living in a community where your neighbors share your values on compassion, sustainability, and everyone eats a plant-based diet.
There's a lot happening in the cohousing world, and we're going to take a look at creating a vegan cohousing community in the Seattle area.

Check out this website for a wealth of information:
cohousing.org.

For more information and to RSVP, see the Meet-up page
https://www.meetup.com/Puget-Sound-Vegans/events/259438857/

Join PNW Vegan Singles member Michael Haug at his dance studio for an enjoyable and unique experience! Flow Studios teaches a physical language, learning the science of physical communication and partnership dancing. This empowers you to be more original and expressive with your movement, and develop skills to dance well to all styles of music, with anybody. It feels good and it is fun!

We will have a 1 hour “Intro to Flow” dance lesson, followed by an hour dance mixer. Feel free to bring vegan friendly goodies and come to have a good time, because you will! You may also invite up to two guests. This is the perfect opportunity to experience an amazing activity with like minded folks.

Wear light shoes that you are comfortable moving in and dress comfortably.

You know you want to go vegan or recently made the switch, but you have all these questions.
Wouldn't it be nice if you could just ask them in a safe, supportive environment, and have knowledgeable and caring vegans give straight-forward answers?
This is your chance!
Come out to our monthly Go Vegan 101 Workshop, and we'll address any questions you have about going – and staying – vegan. Everything from ethics, environmental issues, and of course nutrition.
We will provide plenty of resources, mentorship program, and of course, vegan snacks! These workshops are casual and open to everyone. Stay the whole time, or drop in as you are able to, and bring a friend!
This month we will be in the small meeting room of the Shoreline Library.

Join the Humane Society of the United States and fellow animal lovers for Humane Lobby Day on Wednesday, March 20.

This once-a-year opportunity is your chance to learn about animal welfare bills going through Washington's legislature, support key animal protection issues and meet with your legislators to urge them to improve the quality of life for animals in your state.

The University of Washington's Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) will be meeting to discuss various research protocols (study designs). This is your chance to voice your opinion about the research on animals that goes on at the UW. Please come and speak for the animals!
The meetings are held at the South Campus Center; Room #342 (in between San Juan Road & Columbia Road); behind the Magnuson Health Sciences Center (1925 N.E. Pacific St) )
http://www.washington.edu/maps/

You can also check out their calendar here (copy & paste link into your browser)
http://oaw.washington.edu/iacuc-meeting-schedule/

This month we are going to check out Luna Azul! They serve Latin cuisine and have a large variety of delicious vegan options. They have been really upping their vegan game lately, so let's show them how much we appreciate it.
Check out their menu here:
https://lunaazulseattle.wordpress.com/menu-2/

The Social Discussion Group is a casual event. Drinkers and non-drinkers are welcome, and you don't have to be vegetarian to participate. We hope you'll join us! Questions? Contact rachel[at]narn[dot]org